3 reasons the Braves will be even better without Freddie Freeman

Other tough Braves decisions could become easier now that the Freddie Freeman one has passed

It’s never easy to let someone as important as Freeman leave your franchise. From a public relations standpoint alone, a team needs to make a strong effort to retain legendary players like him. It’s good for the fans. It’s good for morale. It’s good for the standings.

The Braves have been smart about extending many of their youngsters early on. Even Freeman got a lucrative deal several seasons ago which seemed to pay off in the long run. With Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies already locked up for several years on what could turn into very team-friendly deals, they won’t have to make a tough decision with those two. Other tough decisions will, however, come forward.

Inevitably, some of the best young Braves players will get to their final seasons before free agency. When they do happen, the Braves can think with their heads and not their hearts a little easier.

Many times a sports franchise wins the championship and refuses to move on from the players who helped them win it all. The Braves let arguably their biggest star depart over what was likely a difference of a single year in contract negotiations.

From here, any other tough Braves decisions should be a lot easier to make. They should be baseball-focused, not sentimental, too.